China to show new weapons, stealth fighter jet at biennial air show

China is expected to display more than 900 weapons at a biennial
airshow in the southern city of Zhuhai. File Photo by Stephen
Shaver/UPI

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China is
kicking off its biennial Airshow China expo on Tuesday in the southern
city of Zhuhai, and several Chinese-made weapons are expected to be on
sale for interested clientele from Asia and Africa.

The large exhibition is to feature more than
700 companies representing 42 countries and regions. More than half, or
400, of the exhibitors are from China, the South China Morning Post reported on Monday.

The Chinese air force is expected to feature
18 types of military aircraft and 110 weapons. About half of the weapons
on display are being shown to the public for the first time, including
proprietary stealth fighter "Jian J-20," according to South Korean news
agency Yonhap.

The J-20 is capable of flying long distances
while receiving air refueling, and can fire long-range cruise missiles,
according to the report. The fighter jets are to be deployed in 2017, or
by the end of 2016.

China's next-generation drone
Caihong-5 may also draw crowds of potential buyers. The unmanned aerial
vehicle developed by a state-owned enterprise has a gross takeoff
weight of 3.3 tons, and can fly nonstop for 48 hours across a distance
of more than 4,000 miles.

Chinese weapons are cheaper than other
products from the United States or Russia, but Chinese manufacturers
face challenges finding buyers.

According to Andrei Chang
of Kanwa Asian Defense magazine, one of China's Harbin Z-9 attack
helicopters crashed in Cameroon, and the Cameroonian government has said
it does not plan to buy more Chinese weapons due to the quality of the
products.

Chinese-made C-705 anti-ship missiles also
failed to hit targets during an Indonesian exercise in 2016, where
Indonesian President Joko Widodo was in attendance.

"Military sales come with important
maintenance and training services and China has still a way to go in
this regard," said Jonathan Holslag, head of research at the Brussels
Institute of Contemporary China Studies.

China to show new weapons, stealth fighter jet at biennial air show
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